Problem: As $x$ ranges over all real numbers, find the range of
\[f(x) = \sin^4 x + \cos ^2 x.\]Enter your answer using interval notation.
Explanation: We can write
\begin{align*}
f(x) &= \sin^4 x + 1 - \sin^2 x \\
&= \left( \sin^2 x - \frac{1}{2} \right)^2 + \frac{3}{4}.
\end{align*}Since $\sin^2 x$ varies between 0 and 1, the range of $f(x)$ is $\boxed{\left[ \frac{3}{4}, 1 \right]}.$